Recent discoveries have revealed that YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x may be prepared in the form YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 to produce a material which exhibits superconductivity at temperatures below 95 degrees Kelvin.
It has also been shown that one can produce a state of high electrical resistivity in YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x by quenching YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.6 from 900 degrees Celsius and above to room temperature.
It is also known, generally in the field of materials processing, that irradiation of a material by a laser and subsequent cooling of the material can lead to a quenched state of the material.